Is data service compatibility hardware driven?

Is a cell phone's compatibility with one of the prevailing data service
protocols (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPDA, and EDVO) limited by hardware
within the phone? And, can it be changed?

For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?

JD

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› See More: Is data service compatibility hardware driven?

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Is a cell phone's compatibility with one of the prevailing data service
> protocols (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPDA, and EDVO) limited by hardware
> within the phone? And, can it be changed?
>
> For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
> and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
> susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
> phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?

You would have to change phones. Double check your phone's capabilities on
Phone Scoop.

[email protected] wrote:
> For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
> and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
> susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
> phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?

Generally you'd have to change phones. The only handset I've seen that
was upgradable was the Handspring Treo 180 -- it came with CSD and
could be software upgraded to do GPRS.

tg.

[email protected] wrote:
> Is a cell phone's compatibility with one of the prevailing data service
> protocols (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPDA, and EDVO) limited by hardware
> within the phone?

Yes.

> And, can it be changed?

No.

> For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
> and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
> susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
> phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?

You would have to change phones.


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In article <[email protected]>,
Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:

> [email protected] wrote:
> > Is a cell phone's compatibility with one of the prevailing data service
> > protocols (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSPDA, and EDVO) limited by hardware
> > within the phone?
>
> Yes.
>
> > And, can it be changed?
>
> No.
>
> > For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
> > and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
> > susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
> > phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?
>
> You would have to change phones.

Not necessarily. In some cases firmware changes can handle it, although
Cingular is loath to get involved with firmware changes.

Jack Zwick wrote:

>>>For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
>>>and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
>>>susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
>>>phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?
>>
>>You would have to change phones.
>
>
> Not necessarily. In some cases firmware changes can handle it, although
> Cingular is loath to get involved with firmware changes.

Name some current model phones that can be switched with a firmware upgrade.

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In article <[email protected]>,
Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:

> Jack Zwick wrote:
>
> >>>For example, if you purchased a Cingular phone that was GPRS-capable,
> >>>and wanted to take advantage of Cingular making available to all its
> >>>susbscribers AT&T's faster EDGE network, could you re-configure your
> >>>phone to do so, or would you have to change phones?
> >>
> >>You would have to change phones.
> >
> >
> > Not necessarily. In some cases firmware changes can handle it, although
> > Cingular is loath to get involved with firmware changes.
>
> Name some current model phones that can be switched with a firmware upgrade.

The newer Motorola V series.

Jack Zwick wrote:

>>Name some current model phones that can be switched with a firmware upgrade.
> The newer Motorola V series.

Let's go down the list then:

Cingular offers the Motorola V180. The V180 is GPRS only.

Cingular does NOT offer the V186, which is EDGE capable.

Cingular offers the V220. It is listed as being only GPRS capable.

Cingular offers the V551. It is already EDGE capable, no firmware
update needed.

So from what I can see, none of the phones you've cited are EDGE capable
with the addition of a firmware update. They are either limited by
hardware, or are already EDGE enabled.





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In article <[email protected]>,
Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:

> Jack Zwick wrote:
>
> >>Name some current model phones that can be switched with a firmware
> >>upgrade.
> > The newer Motorola V series.
>
> Let's go down the list then:
>
> Cingular offers the Motorola V180. The V180 is GPRS only.
>
> Cingular does NOT offer the V186, which is EDGE capable.
>
> Cingular offers the V220. It is listed as being only GPRS capable.
>
> Cingular offers the V551. It is already EDGE capable, no firmware
> update needed.
>
> So from what I can see, none of the phones you've cited are EDGE capable
> with the addition of a firmware update. They are either limited by
> hardware, or are already EDGE enabled.

You listed only a small subset of the V series.

Try checking out info on firmweare upgrades:

http://s87445123.onlinehome.us/triplets/

Jack Zwick wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Jack Zwick wrote:

>
> You listed only a small subset of the V series.

Yes, the ones being offered by Cingular, because you insisted that it
was Cingular that was responsible for limiting certain phones to EDGE only.



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In article <[email protected]>,
Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:

> Jack Zwick wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > Isaiah Beard <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Jack Zwick wrote:
>
> >
> > You listed only a small subset of the V series.
>
> Yes, the ones being offered by Cingular, because you insisted that it
> was Cingular that was responsible for limiting certain phones to EDGE only.

I did no such thing you Sprint troll.

Make sure ypu omit the URL proving otherwise.

P L O N K